ENIGMA!!

First, we brought you the Howell. Then the Oakville. Today we turn to Coombsville. We feel this third release is the best one yet. That’s saying a lot considering the sources for the previous two.

Enigma, for those of you who are new here, is Wine Spies’ TOP SECRET in-house label. It’s like the wine equivalent of a rare Shadowless Charizard Pokémon card. Or skimming off the top from Tony Soprano with a smile and a handshake.

Nobody has to know…

This wine comes from a singular source of wine industry insider information few, if any, have access to. A source who occasionally supplies us with information on elite cult wineries (think Dalla Valle, Harlan, Dominus) who have a leftover barrel or two. The pedigree is ALWAYS certified top shelf, 100% Grade A, FUEGO!

We taste it, and if it delivers the goods, we buy the lot. Then our winemaker adds the finishing touches, it’s bottled under a strict NDA, and served up to you - discerning Operative - for a wicked deal. Like 60-70% OFF where it should be.

Inspiration comes from the legendary spy craft of the English codebreakers during WWII and the encryption machine they cracked. It even has an interactive label you need to decipher using a special key printed on the cork and a virtual Enigma machine on our drinkenigma.wine website. NO detail is spared here - from the heavy glass to the gorgeous debossed and laser-cut label, to the wine inside…

This comes from a single celestial (hint, hint) vineyard we cannot name outright, but the savvy among you may be able to figure out. You’d be lucky to find a Cab from this address for less than $100. The source of this juice sells theirs north of $150.

Man, this drinks SO good for a youngling! Full-bodied, forward, beautifully textured, and overflowing with a decadent core of ripe fruit. Cassis, boysenberry preserves, red currant, mocha undertones, and some fancy Madagascar vanilla bean - and maybe a dash of five-spice? A baby still, but the midpalate is stacked, the finish long, and the tannins robust yet polished. While it is quite rich and opulent, it also has superb structure, and vivid acidity. We just LOVE that sexy, seemingly sweet glycerin-laden mouthfeel. It has the stuffing to last a decade easy, if you can resist.

This hits WAY above its price and considering where it came from that’s no surprise. The last two releases sold out in a flash. We expect the same. Move quick!!